Staple cartridge and drive member for surgical instrument

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument, having a staple cartridge with a staple pusher and a staple; and a drive member configured to translate distally through the instrument. The drive member includes a lateral projection configured to engage the staple pusher and drive the staple into tissue. The lateral projection of the drive member has a height substantially less than the height of the staple cartridge, thereby requiring less clearance as it translates through the staple cartridge. In addition, the lateral projection has a smaller footprint than conventional drive members resulting in a more compact distal tip on the staple cartridge, which allows for a more compact and maneuverable surgical instrument.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/961,504, filed Jan. 15, 2020, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The field of the present disclosure relates to medical instruments, andmore particularly to tissue sealing instruments for use in surgeries.Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a surgicalstapling instrument having an improved staple cartridge and drive member(i.e., staple actuator) that allows for a smaller and more compactdevice.

Minimally invasive medical techniques are intended to reduce the amountof extraneous tissue that is damaged during diagnostic or surgicalprocedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort, anddeleterious side effects. One effect of minimally invasive surgery, forexample, is reduced post-operative hospital recovery times. The averagehospital stay for a standard open surgery is typically significantlylonger than the average stay for an analogous minimally invasive surgery(MIS). Thus, increased use of MIS could save millions of dollars inhospital costs each year. While many of the surgeries performed eachyear in the United States could potentially be performed in a minimallyinvasive manner, only a portion of the current surgeries uses theseadvantageous techniques due to limitations in minimally invasivesurgical instruments and the additional surgical training involved inmastering them.

Improved surgical instruments such as tissue access, navigation,dissection and sealing instruments have enabled MIS to redefine thefield of surgery. These instruments allow surgeries and diagnosticprocedures to be performed with reduced trauma to the patient. A commonform of minimally invasive surgery is endoscopy, and a common form ofendoscopy is laparoscopy, which is minimally invasive inspection andsurgery inside the abdominal cavity. In standard laparoscopic surgery, apatient's abdomen is insufflated with gas, and cannula sleeves arepassed through small (approximately one-half inch or less) incisions toprovide entry ports for laparoscopic instruments.

Laparoscopic surgical instruments generally include an endoscope (e.g.,laparoscope) for viewing the surgical field and tools for working at thesurgical site. The working tools are typically similar to those used inconventional (open) surgery, except that the working end or end effectorof each tool is separated from its handle by an extension tube (alsoknown as, e.g., an instrument shaft or a main shaft). The end effectorcan include, for example, a clamp, grasper, scissor, stapler, cauterytool, linear cutter, or needle holder.

To perform surgical procedures, the surgeon passes working tools throughcannula sleeves to an internal surgical site and manipulates them fromoutside the abdomen. The surgeon views the procedure from a monitor thatdisplays an image of the surgical site taken from the endoscope. Similarendoscopic techniques are employed in, for example, arthroscopy,retroperitoneoscopy, pelviscopy, nephroscopy, cystoscopy, cisternoscopy,sinoscopy, hysteroscopy, urethroscopy, and the like.

Minimally invasive telesurgical robotic systems are being developed toincrease a surgeon's dexterity when working on an internal surgicalsite, as well as to allow a surgeon to operate on a patient from aremote location (outside the sterile field). In a telesurgery system,the surgeon is often provided with an image of the surgical site at acontrol console. While viewing a three dimensional image of the surgicalsite on a suitable viewer or display, the surgeon performs the surgicalprocedures on the patient by manipulating master input or controldevices of the control console, which in turn control motion of theservo-mechanically operated slave instruments.

The servomechanism used for telesurgery will often accept input from twomaster controllers (one for each of the surgeon's hands) and may includetwo or more robotic arms on each of which a surgical instrument ismounted. Operative communication between master controllers andassociated robotic arm and instrument assemblies is typically achievedthrough a control system. The control system typically includes at leastone processor that relays input commands from the master controllers tothe associated robotic arm and instrument assemblies and back from theinstrument and arm assemblies to the associated master controllers inthe case of, for example, force feedback or the like. One example of arobotic surgical system is the DA VINCI™ system commercialized byIntuitive Surgical, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif.

A variety of structural arrangements have been used to support thesurgical instrument at the surgical site during robotic surgery. Thedriven linkage or “slave” is often called a robotic surgicalmanipulator, and exemplary linkage arrangements for use as a roboticsurgical manipulator during minimally invasive robotic surgery aredescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,912 (filed Sep. 30, 2004), 6,758,843(filed Apr. 26, 2002), 6,246,200 (filed Aug. 3, 1999), and 5,800,423(filed Jul. 20, 1995), the full disclosures of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. These linkagesoften manipulate an instrument holder to which an instrument having ashaft is mounted. Such a manipulator structure can include aparallelogram linkage portion that generates motion of the instrumentholder that is limited to rotation about a pitch axis that intersects aremote center of manipulation located along the length of the instrumentshaft. Such a manipulator structure can also include a yaw joint thatgenerates motion of the instrument holder that is limited to rotationabout a yaw axis that is perpendicular to the pitch axis and that alsointersects the remote center of manipulation. By aligning the remotecenter of manipulation with the incision point to the internal surgicalsite (for example, with a trocar or cannula at an abdominal wall duringlaparoscopic surgery), an end effector of the surgical instrument can bepositioned safely by moving the proximal end of the shaft using themanipulator linkage without imposing potentially hazardous forcesagainst the abdominal wall. Alternative manipulator structures aredescribed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,805 (filed Nov. 9, 2000),6,676,669 (filed Jan. 16, 2002), 5,855,583 (filed Nov. 22, 1996),5,808,665 (filed Sep. 9, 1996), 5,445,166 (filed Apr. 6, 1994), and5,184,601 (filed Aug. 5, 1991), the full disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

During the surgical procedure, the telesurgical system can providemechanical actuation and control of a variety of surgical instruments ortools having end effectors that perform various functions for thesurgeon, for example, holding or driving a needle, grasping a bloodvessel, dissecting tissue, or the like, in response to manipulation ofthe master input devices. Manipulation and control of these endeffectors is a particularly beneficial aspect of robotic surgicalsystems. Such mechanisms should be appropriately sized for use in aminimally invasive procedure and relatively simple in design to reducepossible points of failure. In addition, such mechanisms should providean adequate range of motion to allow the end effector to be manipulatedin a wide variety of positions.

Surgical clamping and cutting instruments (e.g., non-robotic linearclamping, stapling, and cutting devices, also known as surgicalstaplers; and electrosurgical vessel sealing devices) have been employedin many different surgical procedures. For example, a surgical staplercan be used to resect a cancerous or anomalous tissue from agastro-intestinal tract. Many known surgical clamping and cuttingdevices, including known surgical staplers, have opposing jaws thatclamp tissue and an articulated knife to cut the clamped tissue.

Surgical clamping and cutting instruments are often deployed intorestrictive body cavities (e.g., through a cannula to inside thepelvis). Accordingly, it is desirable for the surgical clamping andcutting instrument to be both compact and maneuverable for best accessto and visibility of the surgical site. Known surgical clamping andcutting instruments, however, may fail to be both compact andmaneuverable. For example, known surgical staplers may lackmaneuverability with respect to multiple degrees of freedom (e.g., Roll,Pitch, and Yaw) and associated desired ranges of motion.

Conventional surgical clamping and cutting instruments often include astaple cartridge designed to fit within the movable jaw of the endeffector. The staple cartridge typically contains multiple rows ofstaple assemblies that each includes at least one staple and anassociated staple driver or pusher. The staple pusher holds the staplein place prior to use. When the instrument is actuated, a drive memberor staple actuator is configured to translate distally through the endeffector and advance the staple pushers substantially perpendicular tothe movable jaw, thereby driving the staples into the tissue.

The requisite size and shape of the drive member, however, limits theability of the designer to reduce the size and shape of the overallsurgical instrument. Typical drive members include a shuttle having oneor more inclined distal surfaces or ramps configured to drive the staplepushers and their associated staples upwards into tissue as the drivemember advances distally through the end effector. The ramps, however,must extend almost all the way to the top surface of the staplecartridge in order to drive the staples into the tissue when theinstrument is actuated. To accommodate the ramps of the drive member,the staple cartridge typically includes a somewhat bulky nose extendingfrom its distal end that prevents the ramps from contacting tissue whenit reaches the most distal point of its translation through the endeffector. The staple cartridge nose increases the length of the surgicalinstrument and may inhibit access to certain areas of the surgical site.

In addition, the staple cartridge typically includes extensive cutoutsthrough its elongate body to provide sufficient clearance for thepassage of the drive member ramps. These cutouts reduce the overallmaterial strength of the staple cartridge and provide challenges andextra costs to the manufacturing process.

Accordingly, while the new telesurgical systems and devices have provenhighly effective and advantageous, still further improvements would bedesirable. In general, it would be desirable to provide improvedsurgical instruments that are more compact and maneuverable to enhancethe efficiency and ease of use of minimally invasive systems. Morespecifically, it would be beneficial to create improved drive membersand/or staple cartridges that will allow for the design of even morecompact and maneuverable surgical instruments.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of the claimed subjectmatter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of theclaimed subject matter. This summary is not an extensive overview of theclaimed subject matter. It is intended to neither identify key orcritical elements of the claimed subject matter nor delineate the scopeof the claimed subject matter. Its sole purpose is to present someconcepts of the claimed subject matter in a simplified form as a preludeto the more detailed description that is presented later.

In one aspect of the invention, a surgical instrument comprises a staplecartridge having a housing containing a staple pusher and a staple. Thesurgical instrument further includes a drive member or staple actuatorconfigured to translate longitudinally through the instrument. The drivemember includes a substantially elongate body and a projection extendinglaterally outward from the body. The lateral projection is configured toengage the staple pusher and drive the staple pusher in a directiontransverse to the longitudinal axis of the staple cartridge housing. Thelateral projection of the drive member has a height substantially lessthan the height of the staple cartridge housing, thereby requiring lessclearance as it translates through the staple cartridge. In addition,the lateral projection has a smaller footprint than conventional drivemembers resulting in a more compact distal tip on the staple cartridge,which allows for a more compact and maneuverable surgical instrument.

In a preferred embodiment, the surgical instrument comprises an endeffector with a first fixed jaw and a second jaw. The second jaw isconfigured to move relative to the first jaw from an open to a closedposition. The staple cartridge is coupled to the second jaw and thedrive member is configured to translate distally and retract proximallythrough the end effector. The drive member includes a projection orshuttle fin extending laterally outward to engage the staple pusherswithin the staple cartridge as the drive member is translatedtherethrough. The height of the shuttle fin is substantially smallerthan the overall height of the drive member and the staple cartridge,preferably less than half the height of the staple cartridge and morepreferably less than a fourth the height of the staple cartridge. Thisconfiguration minimizes the volume of space occupied by the shuttle finwhen it is advanced to the distal tip of the staple cartridge, allowingfor the design of a more compact nose. In addition, the relativelysmaller shuttle fin reduces the volume of clearance space required forthe drive member to translate through the staple cartridge, which allowsthe staple cartridge to be manufactured with more material and lesscutouts than conventional designs, thereby increasing the materialstrength of the cartridge and decreasing the cost and complexity of themolding process.

In an exemplary embodiment, the staple cartridge comprises a drive rodpivotally coupled to the staple pusher. The drive rod includes aproximal end configured for receiving the shuttle fin of the drivemember upon distal translation of the drive member through the staplecartridge. The engagement of the shuttle fin with the proximal end ofthe drive rod causes the drive rod to pivot about a hinge and drive thestaple pusher in a perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinalaxis of the staple cartridge. The drive rod may have an elongate portionextending proximally from the staple pusher. The elongate portion pivotsfrom a substantially longitudinal orientation to a substantiallyperpendicular orientation relative to the staple cartridge. After it hasbeen pivoted to the perpendicular orientation, the elongate portion ofthe drive rod has a length or height sufficient to advance the staplepusher close enough to the top surface of the staple cartridge such thatthe staples are driven into the patient's tissue.

In certain embodiments, the surgical instrument further includes anactuation mechanism in contact with the central portion of the drivemember. The actuation mechanism is configured to advance the drivemember distally through the end effector and to retract the drive memberproximally through the end effector. In an exemplary embodiment, theactuator includes a control device of a robotic telesurgical system thatmay, for example, allow for mechanical actuation and control of thesurgical instrument to perform a variety of functions, such as graspinga blood vessel, dissecting tissue, or the like, in response tomanipulation of master input devices located remotely from the surgicalinstrument.

In another aspect, a surgical instrument comprises a staple cartridgehaving a housing containing a staple, a staple pusher and a drive rodpivotally coupled to the staple pusher. The instrument further includesa drive member configured to translate longitudinally through thehousing and engage the drive rod to pivot the drive rod with respect tothe staple pusher and thereby advance the staple pusher and associatedstaple in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of thehousing. The drive rod is preferably sized and configured to pivot aboutthe staple pusher and advance the staple a sufficient distance to drivethe staple into tissue when the instrument is actuated.

In the preferred embodiment, the drive rod includes an elongate portionwith a proximal end for receiving the drive member and a curved portioncoupled to the staple support. Distal translation of the drive memberengages the proximal end of the drive rod and advances it distally,causing the curved portion of the drive rod to deform and pivot aboutthe staple pusher such that the staple pusher and staple are driven in adirection substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thestaple cartridge. The elongate portion of the drive rod preferablyextends in the longitudinal direction near the bottom surface of thestaple cartridge housing prior to actuation. During actuation, theelongate portion has a length sufficient to advance the staple pushersubstantially to the top surface of the staple cartridge. Thus, thepivotable drive rod and lateral projection of the present disclosuretogether perform substantially the same function as a ramp on aconventional drive member, thereby allowing for the design of a drivemember without such a ramp.

In another aspect, a staple cartridge for a surgical instrumentcomprises a staple support, such as a staple driver or pusher,comprising an elongate body with a top surface configured for receivinga staple and a drive rod pivotally coupled to the staple support andconfigured to translate the staple support in a direction transverse tothe elongate body. The staple cartridge may be configured for use with asurgical instrument having a drive member, such as described herein.

In certain embodiments, the cartridge further includes a hinge pivotallycoupling the drive rod to the staple support. The hinge may be integralwith the drive rod. The drive rod comprises an elongate portion coupledto a curved portion, which is coupled to the elongate body of the staplesupport. The elongate portion may have an end surface, wherein movementof the end surface in a first direction causes movement of the staplesupport in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the disclosure. Additional features of thedisclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows ormay be learned by practice of the disclosure

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentsurgical instruments will become more apparent in light of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative surgical instrumenthaving an end effector mounted to an elongated shaft, and an actuationmechanism.

FIG. 1A is a perspective top view of the distal end portion of anillustrative surgical instrument with the jaws in the open position;

FIG. 1B is a bottom perspective view with parts separated of arepresentative staple cartridge for an illustrative surgical instrument;

FIG. 1C shows an enlarged view of the cooperative relationship between aplurality of conventional staple pushers and staples which form part ofthe staple cartridge of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 1D is a perspective bottom view of the distal end portion of thesurgical instrument of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a perspective side view of a staple assembly according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a perspective side view of a drive member according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the staple assembly of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of one portion of a staple cartridgewith the drive member of FIG. 2B according to certain embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating the actuation of the staple assemblyof FIG. 2A;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a conventional staple cartridge;

FIG. 7 is a perspective top view of one portion of a staple cartridgeaccording to certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the end portion of an illustrativesurgical instrument with parts removed;

FIG. 9A is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the actuationmechanism for a drive member in accordance with the surgical instrumentof FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 9B is a partial cross-sectional side view of the actuationmechanism for a drive member in accordance with the surgical instrumentof FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the end portion of theillustrative surgical instrument of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an operating room employing a roboticsurgical system utilizing aspects of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 illustrates a simplified side view of a robotic arm assemblythat is usable with various aspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Particular embodiments of the present surgical instruments are describedhereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, it isto be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary ofthe disclosure and may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specificstructural and functional details disclosed herein are not to beinterpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailedstructure. Well-known functions or constructions are not described indetail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in any unnecessarydetail. Like numbers in two or more figures represent the same orsimilar elements. Furthermore, elements and their associated aspectsthat are described in detail with reference to one embodiment may,whenever practical, be included in other embodiments in which they arenot specifically shown or described. For example, if an element isdescribed in detail with reference to one embodiment and is notdescribed with reference to a second embodiment, the element maynevertheless be claimed as included in the second embodiment. Moreover,the depictions herein are for illustrative purposes only and do notnecessarily reflect the actual shape, size, or dimensions of the systemor illustrated components.

While the following disclosure is presented with respect to a linearsurgical stapler where staples are sequentially fired, it should beunderstood that the features of the presently described surgicalinstruments may be readily adapted for use in any type of surgicalclamping, cutting, ligating, dissecting, clipping, cauterizing, suturingand/or sealing instrument, whether or not the surgical instrumentapplies a fastener. For example, the presently described drive memberand actuation mechanism may be employed in an electrosurgical instrumentwherein the jaws include electrodes for applying energy to tissue totreat (e.g., cauterize, ablate, fuse, or cut) the tissue. The surgicalclamping and cutting instrument may be a minimally invasive (e.g.,laparoscopic) instrument or an instrument used for open surgery.

The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be incorporated intothe a variety of different surgical instruments, such as those describedin commonly-assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.16/205,128, 16/427,427, 16/678,405, 16/904,482, 17/081,088 and17/084,981 and International Patent Nos. PCT/US2019/107646,PCT/US2019/019501, PCT/US2019/062344, PCT/US2020/54568,PCT/US2019/064861, PCT/US2019/062768, PCT/2020/025655,PCT/US2020/056979, PCT/2019/066513, PCT/US2020/020672, PCT/US2019/066530and PCT/US2020/033481, the complete disclosures of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes asif copied and pasted herein.

Additionally, the features of the presently described surgical staplinginstruments may be readily adapted for use in surgical instruments thatare activated using any technique within the purview of those skilled inthe art, such as, for example, manually activated surgical instruments,powered surgical instruments (e.g., electro-mechanically poweredinstruments), robotic surgical instruments, and the like.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative surgical staplinginstrument 100 in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure having a handle assembly 102, and an end effector 110 mountedon an elongated shaft 106 of the surgical stapling instrument 100. Endeffector 110 includes a stationary jaw 111 and a moveable jaw 112.Handle assembly 102 includes a stationary handle 102 a and a moveablehandle 102 b, which serves as an actuator for surgical instrument 100.

In certain embodiments, handle assembly 102 may include input couplers(not shown) instead of, or in addition to, the stationary and movablehandles. The input couplers provide a mechanical coupling between thedrive tendons or cables of the instrument and motorized axes of themechanical interface of a drive system. The input couplers may interfacewith, and be driven by, corresponding output couplers (not shown) of atelesurgical surgery system, such as the system disclosed in U.S. Pub.No. 2014/0183244A1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein. The input couplers are drivingly coupled with one ormore input members (not shown) that are disposed within the instrumentshaft 106 and end effector 110. Suitable input couplers can be adaptedto mate with various types of motor packs (not shown), such as thestapler-specific motor packs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,912,746, orthe universal motor packs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,529,582, thedisclosures of both of which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entirety. Further details of known input couplers and surgicalsystems are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,597,280,7,048,745, and 10,016,244. Each of these patents is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

Actuation mechanisms of surgical instrument 100 may employ drive cablesthat are used in conjunction with a system of motors and pulleys.Powered surgical systems, including robotic surgical systems thatutilize drive cables connected to a system of motors and pulleys forvarious functions including opening and closing of jaws, as well as formovement and actuation of end effectors are well known. Further detailsof known drive cable surgical systems are described, for example, inU.S. Pat. Nos. 7,666,191 and 9,050,119 both of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties. While described hereinwith respect to an instrument configured for use with a robotic surgicalsystem, it should be understood that the wrist assemblies describedherein may be incorporated into manually actuated instruments,electro-mechanical powered instruments, or instruments actuated in anyother way.

FIG. 1A illustrates the distal end portion of surgical instrument 100,including an end effector 110 having a first jaw 111 and a second jaw112, a clevis 140 for mounting jaws 111, 112 to the instrument, and anarticulation mechanism, such as a wrist 160. In certain embodiments,second jaw 112 is a movable jaw configured to move from an open positionto a closed position relative to first jaw 111. In other embodiments,first jaw 111 is a movable jaw configured to move between open andclosed positions relative to second jaw 112. In still other embodiments,both jaws 111, 112 are movable relative to each other. First jaw 111 mayinclude an anvil 115 having staple-forming pockets 116 (see FIG. 1D). Inthe open position, a fresh stapling cartridge 122 (sometimes referred toas a reload and shown more clearly in FIG. 1B) can be loaded intomovable jaw 112 and tissue may be positioned between the jaws 111, 112.In the closed position, jaws 111, 112 cooperate to clamp tissue suchthat cartridge 122 and the anvil 115 are in close cooperative alignment.

Referring now to FIGS. 1B and 1C, a representative cartridge 122 isshown to illustrate the basic features of a conventional surgical stapleinstrument. Cartridge 122 may include a plurality of staples 124supported on corresponding staple pushers 126 provided within respectivestaple apertures 127 formed in cartridge 122. A drive member 150 (shownin FIG. 2B), may be translated distally through end effector 110 tosequentially act on staple pushers 126, driving them upwardly, therebymoving staples 124 into deforming contact with anvil 115 (discussed inmore detail below). Cartridge 122 may be removably received withinmovable jaw 112 or, in single use embodiments, may be manufactured aspart of movable jaw 112.

FIGS. 2A and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a staple assembly200 according to the present invention. As shown, staple assembly 200includes one or more staple pushers 126 (preferably about 2 to 4) eachhaving a substantially elongate body 201 with a top surface 202configured for receiving one or more staples 124 (not shown in FIG. 2A).In an exemplary embodiment, staple pusher(s) 126 include one or moresupporting elements 206 extending above top surface 202 for providingsupport to staples 124 when they are resting on top surface 202. Ofcourse, other suitable geometric designs of staple pusher 126 may beused to receive and hold staple 124 in accordance with the presentinvention. For example, pusher 126 may have a longitudinal recess (notshown) for receiving staple 124, as is described in commonly-assigned,co-pending International Patent Application No. PCT/US2020/033481, filedMay 18, 2020, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference for all purposes. Alternatively, staple pusher 126 may have aflatter upper surface (i.e., without a recess or pocket) that allows thebackspan of staple 124 to rest thereon, as is described incommonly-assigned, provisional patent application No. 62,783,460. Thecomplete disclosure of both applications are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

Staple assembly 200 further comprises one or more drive rods 204 coupledto staple pusher(s) 126. Drive rods 204 each comprise a curved portion208 preferably coupled to the side surface of staple pusher body 201 andan elongate portion 210 extending in a substantially longitudinaldirection away from staple pusher 202. Elongate portions 210 eachinclude a proximal end 212 for engagement with drive member 150(discussed below) and a bottom surface 214 configured to reside on, ornear, the bottom inside surface of suture cartridge 122. In an exemplaryembodiment, elongate portion 210 of drive rod 204 further includes aninclined surface or ramp 215 between bottom surface 214 and curvedportion 208. Ramp 215 serves to elevate staple pusher body 201 above theproximal part of elongate portion 210 to provide room for adjacentstaple pushers 126 in cartridge 122 (see FIG. 4 wherein each staplepusher body 201 resides above the proximal portion of the drive rod 204for the adjacent staple pusher 126). Ramp 215 may also provideadditional leverage to enable elongate portion 210 to pivot about staplepusher 126, as discussed in more detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 5 , curved portions 208 function as a living hingeor flexure bearing between drive rods 204 and staple pushers 126. Tothat end, curved portions 208 preferably have a shape and sizespecifically designed to allow drive rod 204 to pivot or rotate withrespect to staple pusher 126. Curved portions 208 may include a thinnedmaterial portion (not shown) that deforms as drive rod 204 is pivotedabout pusher body 201 to facilitate the formation of the living hinge.Curved portions 208 (and the entire drive rod 204) may be formedintegrally with staple pusher 126, or they may be formed separately andthen suitably coupled thereto. As shown, a sufficient force applied toproximal end 212 of drive rod 204 causes drive rod 204 to pivot aboutthe hinge formed by curved portion 208, thereby driving staple pusher126 in a substantially perpendicular direction to the applied force. Inparticular, curved portion 208 deforms from the curved orientation shownin the leftmost picture to a substantially straight orientation as shownin the rightmost picture. This deformation allows elongate portion 210to rotate from the longitudinal orientation to the perpendicularorientation, thereby driving staple pusher 126 vertically relatively tostaple cartridge 122. Of course, other suitable hinges may be used withthe present disclosure, such as a pin, bolt, joint hinge, strap hinge,butterfly, barrel, piano, pivot, spring and the like.

Staple pusher 126 preferably includes a groove or other recess 211 intop surface 202 for receiving a projection (not shown) in staplecartridge 122. Recess 211 is sized to engage with the cartridgeprojection and allow for movement of staple pusher 126 in asubstantially perpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis of thecartridge housing. The cartridge projection preferably cooperates with avertical rail member to restrict movement of projection and staplepusher 126 to a substantially vertical path. Recess 211 and thecartridge projection ensure that when drive member 150 is translateddistally and engages with proximal end 212 of drive rods 204, thatstaple pusher 126 and staple 124 do not also move distally and areinstead driven upwards relative to cartridge 122 so that staple 124 isultimately driven into the tissue when movable jaw 112 engages fixed jaw110. In other embodiments, pusher 126 may be formed with a groove orrecess in the side surface of body 201. For example, pusher 124 may havea projection or recess that cooperates with an associated verticalgroove or recess in the staple cartridge. In alternative embodiments,other mechanisms can be used to ensure that staple pusher 124 is drivenupwards into fixed jaw 110 during actuation. For example, cartridge 122may include rails or other material at the distal end of each pusher 126or staple assembly to prevent distal movement of staple assemblies whendrive member 150 engages drive rods 204.

Elongate portion 210 of drive rod(s) 204 preferably has a lengthsufficient to drive staple pusher 126 close to, at, or even above, thetop surface of staple cartridge 122. Thus, as drive member 150 movesproximal end 212 of drive rods 204 to a point where drive rods 204 aresubstantially perpendicular to their original orientation prior toactuation, staple pusher 126 has been advanced or lifted through staplecartridge 122 to the point where staple 124 can be driven into thepatient's tissue. The exact length of elongate portion 210 will, ofcourse, depend on the height of staple cartridge 122, and/or the heightof staples 124, which may vary depending on the surgical application.

Of course, it will be recognized that the present disclosure is notlimited to a drive rod pivotally coupled to staple pusher body 201.Other suitable actuating mechanisms can be used with the drive member150 of the invention to move staple pusher 126 and staple 124 asufficient distance to drive staple 124 into the patient's tissue. Forexample, staple cartridge 122 may comprises another actuator, such as arotational actuator, linear actuator, or a biasing mechanism, such as aspring-loaded actuator, that receives drive member 150 and advancesstaple pusher 126 vertically relative to the cartridge housing 250. Inthe latter embodiment, the spring-loaded actuator will be configured toreceive projections 228, 230 of drive member 150 and exert a springforce on pusher 126 to advance pusher 126 upwards relative to cartridgehousing 250.

As shown in FIG. 4 , staple cartridge 122 preferably includes multiplestaple assemblies 200 spaced from each other in the longitudinaldirection. Thus as shown in the leftmost portion of FIG. 5 , curvedportion 208 will preferably have sufficient flexibility to allowelongate portion 210 to be moved beyond, or distal to, a substantiallyperpendicular orientation such that proximal end 212 of elongate portion210 is moved vertically upwards a sufficient distance to provideclearance for drive member 150 to pass distally of each staple pusher126 and engage the next staple assembly 200 in staple cartridge 122.

Referring again to FIG. 3 , in an exemplary embodiment, staple assembly200 includes three staple pushers 126 and two drive rods 204 situatedsuch that rods 204 are each coupled to two of the staple pushers 126. Inparticular, curved portions 208 of drive rods 204 are each coupled toone of the outer staple pushers 126 and a central staple pusher 126.Other suitable configurations may be utilized with the presentinvention. For example, drive rods 204 may be situated on the outside ofstable assembly 200 such that they are each coupled to one of the outerstaple pushers 126. Alternatively, staple assembly 200 may comprisethree drive rods 204 each coupled to only one staple pusher 126. In yetanother embodiment, staple assembly 200 includes only two staple pushers126 with one drive rod 204 therebetween. Other suitable arrangementswill be envisioned by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 7 , a preferred embodiment of cartridge 122will now be described. As shown, cartridge 122 includes an elongatehousing 250 extending substantially along a longitudinal axis 251 andincluding a plurality of apertures or compartments 252 that form pockets254 within the housing to receive staple assemblies 200. As mentionedpreviously, staple assemblies 200 each include at least one (preferably2-4) staple pushers 126 removably coupled to at least one (preferably2-4) staples 124. Staple assemblies 200 are preferably arranged withincompartments 252 such that each staple pusher 126 is situated near abottom surface of housing 250 and staples 124 have their legs facing atop surface of housing 250. For ease of reference, the top surface ofhousing faces fixed jaw 111 (see FIG. 1 ). As discussed above, theentire staple cartridge 122 can be loaded into movable jaw 112 for usein surgery as described in more detail below.

As shown in FIG. 2B, a preferred embodiment of drive member 150 includesa body 151 having a top surface 222, a bottom surface 224 and a pair ofside surfaces 226 connecting top and bottom surfaces 222, 224. Drivemember 150 further includes a pair of projections or shuttle fins 228,230 extending laterally outward from side surfaces 226. Shuttle fins228, 230 preferably comprise substantially flattened appendagesextending from either side of drive member 150. Shuttle fins 228, 230each include a distal end 232 configured to engage proximal ends 212 ofdrive rods 204 to drive pushers 126 (and the associated staples 124)vertically or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when drive member150 is translated in the distal direction. Distal ends 232 arepreferably substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of drivemember 150, although it will be recognized that ends 232 may define anincline, ramp, recess, pocket or other design and still fulfill thepurpose of engaging proximal ends 212 of drive rods 204. Shuttle fins228, 230 are shown extending from the proximal portion of drive memberbody 151 with distal end 232 of each fin 228, 230 extending out fromside surfaces 226. However, it should be noted that shuttle fins 228,230 may reside closer to the distal portion of drive member 150 thanshown in FIG. 2B so as to reduce the distance drive member 150 extendsdistally out from cartridge 122 after it has been moved to the finaldistal position (i.e., sufficiently far to engage all of the staplepushers 126 within cartridge 122).

Shuttle fins 228, 230 preferably extend laterally outward from body 151a suitable distance to engage drive rods 204 (as best shown in FIG. 4 ).Shuttle fins 228, 230 preferably have a substantially planar top surface234 that is preferably located below top surface 222 of drive memberbody 151. In the exemplary embodiment, shuttle fins 228, 230 have aheight (as measured perpendicular to longitudinal axis 251) that issubstantially less than the height of body 151. In an exemplaryembodiment, the height of shuttle fins 228, 230 are less than half ofthe height of body 151, more preferably less than 25% of the height ofbody 151. Fins 228, 230 preferably extend from the bottom portion ofdrive member body 151 to minimize the vertical footprint of fins 228,230.

In conventional drive members (see FIGS. 6A and 6B), the shuttle finshave an inclined distal surface or ramp 280 that extends almost all theway to the top surface of staple cartridge housing 250. This ramp 280 isconfigured to engage the staple pushers and cam them upwardssufficiently far enough to drive the staples into tissue. To accommodatethese shuttle fin ramps 280, staple cartridge 122 typically includes asomewhat bulk nose 282 extending from its distal end that prevents ramps280 of the drive member from contacting tissue when it reaches the mostdistal point of its translation through the end effector. The staplecartridge nose 282 increases the length of the surgical instrument andmay inhibit access to certain areas of the surgical site.

In addition, staple cartridge 122 typically includes extensive cutoutsthrough its elongate body to provide sufficient clearance for thepassage of the drive member ramps. FIG. 6B illustrates a conventionalstaple cartridge with a plurality of compartments for housing the staplepushers (not shown). As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the cartridge includescentral support posts 288 completely surrounded by the cutouts toprovide clearance for ramps 280. These cutouts reduce the overallmaterial strength of the staple cartridge; and they provide challengesand extra costs to the manufacturing process.

By contrast, shuttle fins 228, 230 of the present disclosure have a muchsmaller footprint than conventional “ramp shuttle fins”. As mentionedpreviously, they preferably extend to less than 50%, more preferablyless than 25% of the height of the drive member 150, which allows thedesigner to provide more material in staple cartridge 122 (i.e., lesscutouts). In addition, the more compact shuttle fins 228, 230 of thepresent disclosure allow for a shorter and more compact nose at thedistal end of shuttle cartridge, which reduces the overall size ofsurgical instrument 100. In addition, having a more compact distal nosemay allow the surgeon to access areas of the surgical site that wouldhave been more difficult, or even impossible, with a larger and bulkierinstrument.

FIG. 7 shows a portion of staple cartridge 122 that illustrates one ofthe advantages of the present invention. As shown, staple cartridge 122generally includes an elongate housing 250 having a plurality ofcompartments 252 for housing staple assemblies 200. As mentionedpreviously, the preferred embodiment of each staple assembly 200includes three staple pushers (not shown) with one central staple pusherpositioned just proximal to two lateral pushers. Accordingly, housing250 includes pockets 254 for each of the staple pushers with a centralsupport post 256 situated near each staple assembly (central supportpost 256 generally being located behind the central staple pusher andbetween the two lateral staple pusher within each staple assembly 200).In contrast to conventional designs, however, an exemplary cartridge 122further includes a pair of diagonal support walls 258 coupling eachcentral support post 256 with the rest of staple cartridge. Although notshown in FIG. 7 , these diagonal support walls 258 do not extend all theway to the bottom surface of staple cartridge 122. Instead, supportwalls 258 stop short of the bottom surface to provide clearance forshuttle fins 228, 230. Diagonal support walls 258 provide additionalstrength to staple cartridge 122. In addition, the overall staplecartridge is less expensive and easier to mold because it does notrequire the extensive cutouts typically used in conventional devices.

Referring again to FIG. 2B, shuttle fins 228, 230 are preferablyintegrated into the lower portion of drive member 150 such that thebottom surface of fins 228, 230 reside at approximately the same levelas bottom surface 224 of drive member body 151. This reduces the overallheight and footprint take up by fins 228, 230. In addition, integratingshuttle fins 228, 230 into drive member 150 provides more flexibility inthe design of surgical instrument 100. For example, this may allow for areduction in the size of staple cartridge 122 and surgical instrument100 and/or an increase in the length of staples 124 for a given size ofsurgical instrument 100.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , in certain embodiments, jaws 111, 112 areattached to surgical instrument 100 via a clevis 140. Clevis 140includes upper and lower portions that cooperate when assembled to forma protrusion 145 configured to engage tabs 113 (see FIG. 1A) of jaw 111to securely mount jaw 111 in a fixed position on instrument 100. Clevis140 further includes an opening for receiving a pivot pin 130 defining apivot axis around which jaw 112 pivots as described in more detailbelow. A more complete description of a suitable clevis 140 for use withthe present invention may be found in commonly-assigned, provisionalpatent application Nos. 62,783,444, filed Dec. 21, 2018; 62,783,481,filed Dec. 21, 2018; 62,783,460, filed Dec. 21, 2018; 62,747,912, filedOct. 19, 2018; and 62,783,429, filed Dec. 21, 2018, the completedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety for all purposes. Of course, it will be recognized by thoseskilled in the art that other coupling mechanisms known by those skilledin the art may be used with the present invention to attach the jaws 11,112 to the proximal portion of surgical instrument 100.

End effector 110 may be articulated in multiple directions by anarticulation mechanism. In certain embodiments, the articulationmechanism may be a wrist 160 as shown, although other articulationmechanisms are contemplated. As seen in FIG. 8 , a preferred embodimentof wrist 160 includes a plurality of articulation joints 162, 164, 166,etc. that define a bore 167 through which an actuation mechanism (inembodiments, coil 120 and drive cable 171, see FIGS. 9A and 9B) maypass. Upon exiting articulation wrist 160, coil 120 enters and passesthrough an internal channel (not shown) of clevis 140, ultimatelyengaging proximal surface 153 of upper shoe 152 of drive member 150.Other articulation mechanisms known by those skilled in the art maysubstitute for wrist 160. Other exemplary articulating mechanisms areshown for example in U.S. Publication. No. 2015/0250530 the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entiretyfor all purposes.

As seen in FIGS. 9A and 9B, an illustrative actuation assembly includesa drive cable 171, a coil 120, a sheath 121 surrounding coil 120, and adrive rod 175. Drive cable 171 includes an enlarged distal end 173.Upper shoe 152 of drive member 150 includes a bore 158 (see also FIG. 10) into which drive cables 171 are routed. When assembling illustrativesurgical instrument 100, coil 120 and a protective sheath 121 areslipped over the free end of drive cable 171. The free end of drivecable 171 is attached to a drive rod 175 securing coil 120 and theprotective sheath 121 between drive member 150 and drive rod 175. Sheath121 may function to promote stability, smooth movement, and preventbuckling upon actuation of surgical instrument 100. Sheath 121 may bemade from polyimide, or any other suitable material having the requisitestrength requirements such as various reinforced plastics, a nickeltitanium alloy such as NITINOL™, poly para-phenyleneterphtalamidematerials such as KEVLAR™ commercially available from DuPont. Those ofskill in the art may envision other suitable materials.

Enlarged distal end 173 of drive cable 171 resides within an enlargeddistal portion 159 of bore 158 in upper shoe 152 of body 150, such thatthe proximal face 157 of enlarged distal end 173 may apply a retractionforce on upper shoe 152 when the drive cable 171 is pulled proximally.Drive rod 175 is operationally connected to an actuator which allowsdistal translation and proximal retraction of the actuation assembly.Those skilled in the art will recognize that in a manually actuatedinstrument, the actuator may be a movable handle, such as moveablehandle 102 b shown in FIG. 1 ; in a powered instrument the actuator maybe a button (not shown) that causes a motor to act on the drive rod; andin a robotic system, the actuator may be a control device such as thecontrol devices described below in connection with FIGS. 11 and 12 .

During actuation of illustrative surgical instrument 100, drive rod 175applies force to coil 120, thereby causing coil 120 to apply force toupper shoe 152 of drive member 150, translating it distally initiallyclosing jaws 111, 112 and then ejecting staples 124 from cartridge 122to staple tissue. After stapling is complete, drive rod 175 applies aforce in the proximal direction to effect retraction of drive member.During retraction, enlarged distal end 173 of drive cable 171 isobstructed by wall 157 of enlarged portion 159 of bore 158, causingdrive cable 171 to apply force to upper shoe 152 of drive member 150,thereby translating drive member 150 in the proximal direction. One ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that drive member 150, drivecable 171, and drive rod 175 all move in unison and remain in the samerelative position to each other.

Referring now to FIG. 10 , in use, drive member 150 is positionedproximally of cam surface 114 formed on movable jaw 112. As drive member150 translates in the distal direction, movable jaw 112 will rotatetowards the closed position around a pivot pin 130 (see, for example,FIGS. 1A and 1D). Once drive member 150 has come into contact with camsurface 114 of movable jaw 112, lower portion 154 of drive member 150rides underneath cam surface 114, drive member 150 pushes movable jaw112, causing it to pivot towards the closed position. In the closedposition, drive member 150 has translated distally past cam surface 114.In this position, tissue is clamped, and further advancement of thedrive member will sever and staple tissue.

FIG. 11 illustrates, as an example, a top view of an operating roomemploying a robotic surgical system. The robotic surgical system in thiscase is a robotic surgical system 300 including a Console (“C”) utilizedby a Surgeon (“S”) while performing a minimally invasive diagnostic orsurgical procedure, usually with assistance from one or more Assistants(“A”), on a Patient (“P”) who is lying down on an Operating table (“O”).

The Console includes a monitor 304 for displaying an image of a surgicalsite to the Surgeon, left and right manipulatable control devices 308and 309, a foot pedal 305, and a processor 302. The control devices 308and 309 may include any one or more of a variety of input devices suchas joysticks, gloves, trigger-guns, hand-operated controllers, or thelike. The processor 302 may be a dedicated computer that may beintegrated into the Console or positioned next to it.

The Surgeon performs a minimally invasive surgical procedure bymanipulating the control devices 308 and 309 (also referred to herein as“master manipulators”) so that the processor 302 causes theirrespectively associated robotic arm assemblies, 328 and 329, (alsoreferred to herein as “slave manipulators”) to manipulate theirrespective removably coupled surgical instruments 338 and 339 (alsoreferred to herein as “tools”) accordingly, while the Surgeon views thesurgical site in 3-D on the Console monitor 304 as it is captured by astereoscopic endoscope 340.

Each of the tools 338 and 339, as well as the endoscope 340, may beinserted through a cannula or other tool guide (not shown) into thePatient so as to extend down to the surgical site through acorresponding minimally invasive incision such as incision 366. Each ofthe robotic arms is conventionally formed of links, such as link 362,which are coupled together and manipulated through motor controlled oractive joints, such as joint 363.

The number of surgical tools used at one time and consequently, thenumber of robotic arms being used in the system 300 will generallydepend on the diagnostic or surgical procedure and the space constraintswithin the operating room, among other factors. If it is necessary tochange one or more of the tools being used during a procedure, theAssistant may remove the tool no longer being used from its robotic arm,and replace it with another tool 331 from a Tray (“T”) in the operatingroom.

The monitor 304 may be positioned near the Surgeon's hands so that itwill display a projected image that is oriented so that the Surgeonfeels that he or she is actually looking directly down onto theoperating site. To that end, images of the tools 338 and 339 may appearto be located substantially where the Surgeon's hands are located.

The processor 302 performs various functions in the system 300. Oneimportant function that it performs is to translate and transfer themechanical motion of control devices 308 and 309 to their respectiverobotic arms 328 and 329 through control signals over bus 310 so thatthe Surgeon can effectively manipulate their respective tools 338 and339. Another important function is to implement various control systemprocesses as described herein.

Although described as a processor, it is to be appreciated that theprocessor 302 may be implemented in practice by any combination ofhardware, software and firmware. Also, its functions as described hereinmay be performed by one unit, or divided up among different components,each of which may be implemented in turn by any combination of hardware,software and firmware. For additional details on robotic surgicalsystems, see, e.g., commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,608 “Aspects of aControl System of a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus,” and commonlyowned U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,581 “Camera Referenced Control in a MinimallyInvasive Surgical Apparatus,” which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIG. 12 illustrates, as an example, a side view of a simplified (notnecessarily in proportion or complete) illustrative robotic arm assembly400 (which is representative of robotic arm assemblies 328 and 329)holding a surgical instrument 450 (which is representative of tools 338and 339) for performing a surgical procedure. The surgical instrument450 is removably held in tool holder 440. The arm assembly 400 ismechanically supported by a base 401, which may be part of apatient-side movable cart or affixed to the operating table or ceiling.It includes links 402 and 403, which are coupled together and to thebase 401 through setup joints 404 and 405.

The setup joints 404 and 405 in this example are passive joints thatallow manual positioning of the arm 400 when their brakes are released.For example, setup joint 404 allows link 402 to be manually rotatedabout axis 406, and setup joint 405 allows link 403 to be manuallyrotated about axis 407. Although only two links and two setup joints areshown in this example, more or less of each may be used as appropriatein this and other robotic arm assemblies in conjunction with the presentinvention. For example, although setup joints 404 and 405 are useful forhorizontal positioning of the arm 400, additional setup joints may beincluded and useful for limited vertical and angular positioning of thearm 400. For major vertical positioning of the arm 400, however, the arm400 may also be slidably moved along the vertical axis of the base 401and locked in position.

The robotic arm assembly 400 also includes three active joints driven bymotors. A yaw joint 410 allows arm section 430 to rotate around an axis461, and a pitch joint 420 allows arm section 430 to rotate about anaxis perpendicular to that of axis 461 and orthogonal to the plane ofthe drawing. The arm section 430 is configured so that sections 431 and432 are always parallel to each other as the pitch joint 420 is rotatedby its motor. As a consequence, the instrument 450 may be controllablymoved by driving the yaw and pitch motors so as to pivot about the pivotpoint 462, which is generally located through manual positioning of thesetup joints 404 and 405 so as to be at the point of incision into thepatient. In addition, an insertion gear 445 may be coupled to a lineardrive mechanism (not shown) to extend or retract the instrument 450along its axis 463.

Although each of the yaw, pitch and insertion joints or gears, 410, 420and 445, is controlled by an individual joint or gear controller, thethree controllers are controlled by a common master/slave control systemso that the robotic arm assembly 400 (also referred to herein as a“slave manipulator”) may be controlled through user (e.g., surgeon)manipulation of its associated master manipulator. A more completedescription of illustrative robotic surgical systems for use with thepresent invention can be found in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos.9,295,524, 9,339,344, 9,358,074, and 9,452,019, the complete disclosuresof which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

Hereby, all issued patents, published patent applications, andnon-patent publications that are mentioned in this specification areherein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes, tothe same extent as if each individual issued patent, published patentapplication, or non-patent publication were specifically andindividually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

While several embodiments have been shown in the drawings, it is notintended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended thatthe disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that thespecification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description shouldnot be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications ofpresently disclosed embodiments. Thus, the scope of the embodimentsshould be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents,rather than by the examples given.

Persons skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methodsspecifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments. The featuresillustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment maybe combined with the features of other embodiments. Various alternativesand modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances.As well, one skilled in the art will appreciate further features andadvantages of the present disclosure based on the above-describedembodiments. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be limited bywhat has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated bythe appended claims.

Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromconsideration of the specification and practice of the embodimentdisclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples beconsidered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of theembodiment being indicated by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A surgical instrument comprising: acartridge comprising one or more staple pushers each having a body and adrive rod pivotally coupled to the body; an end effector having firstand second jaws movable between open and closed positions, wherein atleast one of the jaws includes a channel for receiving the cartridgewith one or more staples, the channel having a height substantiallyperpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the end effector; and a drivemember comprising a main body with a projection extending laterallyoutward from the main body, the drive member being configured to engagethe staples and drive the staples in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis as the drive member is translated longitudinallythrough the end effector, wherein the projection has a heightsubstantially less than the height of the channel and wherein the driverod has a proximal end configured for receiving the projection on thedrive member.
 2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein distaltranslation of the drive member causes the drive rod to pivot relativeto the staple pusher and drive the staple pusher in a substantiallyperpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis of the staplecartridge.
 3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the main bodyof the drive member comprises top and bottom surfaces and a sidesurface, wherein the projection comprises a fin extending laterallyoutward from the side surface, wherein a height of the side surface issubstantially larger than a height of the fin.
 4. The surgicalinstrument of claim 3, wherein the main body comprises a second sidesurface opposite the side surface and a second fin extending laterallyoutward from the second side surface, wherein a height of the secondside surface if substantially larger than a height of the second fin. 5.The surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising an end effectorhaving a first fixed jaw and a second jaw configured to move relative tothe first jaw from an open position to a closed position, wherein thestaple cartridge is coupled to one of the first or second jaws.
 6. Thesurgical instrument of claim 5 further comprising: an actuationmechanism in contact with the drive member and configured to translatethe drive member distally through the end effector and retract the drivemember proximally through the end effector; and an actuator operativelyconnected to the actuation mechanism, wherein the actuator includes acontrol device of a robotic surgical system.
 7. A surgical instrumentcomprising: a staple cartridge comprising a housing containing a stapleand a staple pusher, the housing having a longitudinal axis; a drive rodpivotally coupled to the staple pusher; a drive member configured totranslate longitudinally through the housing and engage the drive rod topivot the drive rod with respect to the staple pusher and advance thestaple pusher in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of thehousing; and wherein the drive member comprises an elongate body and aprojection extending laterally outward from said elongate body, saidprojection being configured to engage said drive rod.
 8. The surgicalinstrument of claim 7 further comprising an end effector having a firstfixed jaw and a second jaw configured to move relative to the first jawfrom an open position to a closed position, wherein the staple cartridgeis coupled to one of the first or second jaws.
 9. The surgicalinstrument of claim 7 further comprising a hinge coupling the drive rodto the staple pusher, wherein distal translation of the drive membercauses the drive rod to pivot about the hinge and translate the staplepusher in a substantially perpendicular direction to the longitudinalaxis.
 10. The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the drive rodcomprises an elongate portion coupled to a curved portion and whereinthe curved portion comprises the hinge.
 11. The surgical instrument ofclaim 7, wherein the drive member has top and bottom surfaces and a sidesurface, wherein the projection comprises a fin extending laterallyoutward from the side surface, wherein a first height of the sidesurface is substantially larger than a second height of the fin.
 12. Thesurgical instrument according to claim 7 further comprising: anactuation mechanism in contact with the drive member and configured totranslate the drive member distally through the end effector and retractthe drive member proximally through the end effector; and an actuatoroperatively connected to the actuation mechanism, wherein the actuatorincludes a control device of a robotic surgical system.
 13. A staplecartridge for a surgical instrument comprising: a staple supportcomprising an elongate body with a top surface configured for receivinga staple; and a drive rod pivotally coupled to the staple support andconfigured to translate the staple support in a direction transverse tothe elongate body, wherein the drive rod comprises an elongate portioncoupled to a curved portion and wherein the curved portion is coupled tothe elongate body of the staple support.
 14. The staple cartridge ofclaim 13 further comprising a hinge pivotally coupling the drive rod tothe staple support.
 15. The staple cartridge of claim 14, wherein thehinge is integral with the drive rod.
 16. The staple cartridge of claim13, wherein the elongate portion has an end surface, wherein movement ofthe end surface in a first direction causes movement of the staplesupport in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
 17. Thestaple cartridge of claim 16, wherein the staple support has a bottomsurface and a height between the top and bottom surfaces, and whereinthe elongate portion of the drive rod extends away from the staplesupport in a substantially longitudinal direction, said elongate portionhaving a length greater than the height of the staple support.